The NYC Council advanced 13 bills into law during the week of January 4-11, with measures spanning public health, infrastructure, and nonprofit funding.
Notable actions included enacting quarterly pay requirements for homeless and criminal justice nonprofits, mandating flood-safety upgrades for storage tanks in at-risk areas, and requiring schools to stock epinephrine auto-injectors and choking-rescue devices.
Several bills became law without mayoral signature, including legislation establishing a municipal census office to boost 2030 participation and a rat inspection bill requiring faster Department of Health response and public reporting of violations.
The Council also passed workplace safety and data-tracking measures, including expanded mental health training for construction workers and quarterly reporting requirements for park ranger deployment and enforcement activity.
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The Mayor allowed a bill to become law this week without signing it, meaning all NYC schools and child care programs must now stock epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPens) to treat severe allergic reactions. Schools must have at least one device per building, while child care facilities must have at least two, following state health guidelines.
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The Mayor failed to sign this bill, so it became law this week without approval. Int 1217 requires the Department of Health to inspect buildings within 14 days of rat complaints and publicly report inspection results, including whether violations were issued. The law aims to improve transparency and speed up response times for rodent problems.
Quarterly pay law for homeless and criminal justice nonprofits becomes law after mayor's inaction
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The Mayor let this bill become law this week without signing it. The law requires the city to pay homeless services and criminal justice nonprofits at least 25% of their annual contract budget each quarter starting July 2027, instead of waiting until projects are completed. This helps nonprofits with cash flow while delivering services to vulnerable New Yorkers.
Mayor lets choking-rescue device bill become law; schools must stock devices once FDA approves them
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The Mayor allowed a bill to become law this week without signing it. The law requires all NYC public, private, and charter schools to stock airway clearance devices (specialized tools for clearing choking) once the FDA approves them for school use and major health organizations recommend protocols. Schools must train staff on how to use them properly, and report annually on how many devices they have and when they're used.
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This bill became law this week after the Mayor didn't sign it. It requires NYC Parks to create and maintain an interactive online map showing all city swimming pools, their hours, programs, and any planned maintenance or closures—making it easier for New Yorkers to find pools and plan visits.
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Mayor Adams allowed this bill to become law this week without signing it. The law requires Parks and Education departments to study whether more NYC high school students could be trained and hired as lifeguards at city beaches and pools, with a report due by November 2026.
High-visibility road marking bill becomes law; DOT must test new reflective pavement by Jan 2027
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A bill requiring the Department of Transportation to test high-visibility pavement markings became law this week after the Mayor didn't sign it. The law requires DOT to test at least 3 new types of reflective or glow-in-the-dark road markings by January 2027, then potentially launch a pilot program in at least 5 locations per borough by January 2028, focusing on streets with high accident rates.
Census office bill becomes law without mayor's signature; will boost participation in 2030 count
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The Mayor's office failed to sign this bill, so it became law this week without his signature. The new law creates a temporary Office of the Census to help New York City residents participate in the 2030 federal census, with a focus on reaching hard-to-count communities and providing multilingual support.
Construction worker safety training now includes mental health and suicide prevention credits
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This bill became law this week after the Mayor didn't sign it. It requires construction workers to complete 2 credits of training on mental health, suicide prevention, and substance abuse as part of their mandatory Site Safety Training Card certification. The new requirement aims to address mental health and addiction challenges among construction workers.
Tank flood-safety law enacted; requires 2-foot elevation in at-risk areas
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The Mayor let this bill become law this week without a signature. The law requires tanks in stormwater flood-prone areas to be elevated at least 2 feet above ground and sets new building standards to prevent flooding damage. It also requires the Department of Buildings to publish flood risk information and guidance on its property portal so New Yorkers can see if their buildings are at risk.
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The Mayor let this bill become law this week without signing it. The law requires Parks Department to submit quarterly reports on urban park rangers—including how many are employed, where they're deployed across boroughs, vacant positions, and summonses they issue.
DOT must catalog city retaining walls—bill becomes law without mayor's signature
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The Mayor allowed this bill to become law this week without signing it. The bill requires the NYC Department of Transportation to create and publish a public inventory of all city-owned retaining walls 10 feet or taller by October 2026, including their locations and last maintenance dates, with annual updates.
Sign penalty waiver bill becomes law; extends relief for small businesses through 2028
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A bill extending protections for small businesses with accessory signs became law this week when the Mayor didn't sign it. The law waives penalties and fees for existing signs through 2028, provides free technical assistance to business owners, and requires the city to teach small businesses about proper sign installation rules.